The Beer Nut: Pilsners overcome bad reputation in taste test

Wednesday

Pilsners sometimes get a bad rap among craft beer fans. Budweiser, Miller and Coors are all golden yellow beers, originally based on pilsner recipes.

Pilsners sometimes get a bad rap among craft beer fans.

Budweiser, Miller and Coors are all golden yellow beers, originally based on pilsner recipes.

Miller still promises "great pilsner taste" on some of its beer labels, but saying Miller is a great pilsner is like saying I'm thin. I can say it, but it ain't true.

Pilsners got their starts in Europe, in Germany and Czechoslovakia. They are pale yellow lagers, often well-hopped and crisp, easy drinking.

Many American craft brewers brew this type of beer, and the style seems to be gaining popularity. The fact they are so easy drinking and refreshing make them a great warm-weather beer.

This week, I conducted a blind taste test of 12 pilsners. The tasters were MetroWest Daily News Metro Editor Rob Haneisen, Framingham and Natick Tab Editor Phil Maddocks, fellow reporter Charlie Breitrose and me. We judged the beer on a 1 to 5 point scale in four categories -- appearance, aroma, mouthfeel and taste. The most points a beer could get was 80, 20 from each tester.

This is the first beer that was an unanimous winner in the series of blind tasting. Not one taster gave it less than 16 points, with Phil giving it 19 out of 20. It also had the biggest margin of winning.

Phil described it as having "a lingering hoppy feel" and "overall very refreshing and satisfying." Rob said it had "great flavor" and "nice bitterness."

I found the beer to be almost perfect in appearance and having a great hoppy feel on my tongue. Charlie said it had a "nice malty taste and a little bit bitter at the end."

3. Stoudt's Pils, Pennsylvania, 5.4 percent ABV, 57 points

Very close to Samuel Adams, one of my go-to pilsners. I described it as a "classic pilsner" during the tasting with a "great finish." Rob said it had a "very nice hoppiness and bitterness throughout. Nice aroma."

4. Paulaner Premium Pils, Germany, 4.9 percent ABV, 56 points

One of the classic pilsners brewed in Germany and imported here to the U.S. Charlie said it had "great balance." He said the hop bitterness was light "but tasty." Phil said it was "very pleasant" and had "a nice, subtle aroma."

5. Konig Pilsener, Germany, 4.9 percent ABV, 53.5 points

I've always been a fan of this beer -- I've bought mini-kegs of it and brought it to parties and I will again in the future.

I said it was "crisp, earthy and grassy," while Rob said it had a "piney aroma" but thought it was a "little thin."

6. (Tied) Brooklyn Pilsner, New York, 5.1 percent ABV, 51.5 points

Brooklyn always does a solid job with classic styles, and this is another example of that.

Charlie said it was "nice to look at" and had a "bready/yeasty smell." Phil said it had a "distinct after taste."